"He had to go off at half-time" – Jamie Carragher says Arsenal man was 'out of his depth' in 2-2 draw against Bayern Munich
Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher has asserted that Arsenal star Jakub Kiwior was struggling against Bayern Munich in the 2-2 UEFA Champions League quarter-final first leg draw on Tuesday (April 9).
The Gunners were forced to make a thrilling comeback in their latest game against Thomas Tuchel's side at the Emirates Stadium. Bukayo Saka scored the opener in the 12th minute before Serge Gnabry made the most of a fierce Bavarian counter-attack six minutes later.
In the 32nd minute of the match, Leroy Sane turned Kiwior on his team's right flank and made a stellar run towards the Gunners' penalty box. He skipped past Declan Rice before being fouled by William Saliba.
Ex-Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane converted the resulting penalty, bagging his 15th career goal against Arsenal. But, Leandro Trossard restored parity for the hosts with a fine strike in the 76th minute.
Following the end of the UEFA Champions League last-eight tie, Carragher stated that Kiwior was out of his depth in the first half against the Bundesliga champions. He told CBS Sports (h/t TBR):
"The arrogance, the confidence, the ability to do that. Leroy Sane down this side, he was too much for Kiwior, he had to go off at half-time, he was out of his depth in that first half, but that run is out of this world. [Gunners defenders] look like they're drunk."
Kiwior, who has predominantly been used as a left-back this season, completed 16 of 20 passes, and won one of two tackles and three of four duels this Tuesday. The 24-year-old was replaced by ex-Manchester City defender Oleksandr Zinchenko at the half time break.
Arsenal backed to hand Bayern Munich exit
Speaking on ESPN FC, Liverpool legend Steve Nicol claimed that the Gunners will progress to the UEFA Champions League semi-finals after beating Bayern Munich in their upcoming tie. He said:
"55-45 to Arsenal. I think [they are the favorites to go through to the semi-finals]. I understand everything that everybody is saying about Arsenal in the Champions League, but I still think they're the better side. Bayern have been so inconsistent, just when you expect them to do something, they have been absolutely poor."
Arsenal, who have lost eight of their 44 overall outings this season, dominated the first leg match on Tuesday. They relished 59% possession, completed 466 passes with 88% accuracy, and recorded 13 shots.
The Gunners will face Bayern in their Champions League quarter-final second leg clash at Allianz Arena on Wednesday (April 17).